Former Indian cricketer turned commentator Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned the exclusion of Manav Suthar from the two-match away Test series against New Zealand, which starts on November 19 in Wellington. The BCCI announced the 16-member squad on October 16, with Suthar missing out despite doing well in his brief career so far.
Speaking during a discussion on his YouTube channel (Ash ki Baat), he said: “I’m actually wondering where Manav Suthar’s name is. It is quite clear to me that no specialist spinner will feature in the playing XI. By that, I mean nobody will be playing the role of a specialist spinner. The management is saying that Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja can both play as batters for us.
“So, if they can provide some spin, we won’t need a third spinner. If the pitch offers as much turn, we will use Kuldeep Yadav. There is no need for Manav Suthar. I think that is quite a tricky situation because Manav Suthar is an attacking spinner who can play the role of India’s primary spinner. I would have loved to see him in the squad,” he further added.
“Teams often carry extra players because it is about continuity. If Manav Suthar goes on the next tour to England or Australia, the exposure he gets from this tour could help him carry that experience forward. I know he has played county cricket, and that would have given him some exposure. However, this is a big blow to his confidence because he might feel that the team does not see him as a match-winner,” he stated.
However, Ravichandran Ashwin also added that even if India had not planned to use Manav Suthar, he should have been added to the squad to maintain continuity as well.
“So, somewhere, even if you are not going to use him, I would have loved to see him in the squad because it is a question of continuity, and he would learn so much on the tour. I am not saying that you should take a player just for the sake of learning if he does not deserve to be there. But he has performed as well and deserves to go on the tour. So, it is a bit unfortunate. He can bat too. What happens if Jadeja suffers an injury towards the end, perhaps during practice? Then you don’t have a left-arm spinner who could offer something,” he concluded.
